Some times we keep silent, People  talk to me and I don’t answer, why? I asked myself and found many reasons, that I want to share. Because  been  silent, for me could be wise but for others they will perceive it totally different.

Sometimes I keep my mouth shut because of ignorance, they are talking about something I am totally  NPI  so the best is not say anything, people may interpret that as avoiding a discussion. Sometime it is better to look stupid than to say stupidities.

Other times what you feel  at that moment it is in the best interest of better relations, not to say anything. I try to keep a balance between sincerity and good manners,  I  belong to another generation that some words have change dramatically their meaning, so  I am  careful .

I never use the silence as a cruel form of contempt, a lot of people do. And instead of express discrepancies in the right moment simply ignore the others.

Silence’is that beautiful place where I set up a dialog of my human natures with my spiritual soul, where my both parts in silence listen to God. Is in this silence that mystery that we call the conscience project our live to be seen by God, in a way that nobody will be able to see or understand it. Is in this silence that we decide the course of our life.  and what are I doing with it.

And to finish I always try to listen in silence when someone needs to say something to someone who will understand with respect.

As a seventyish boy in the XXI century I am part of n exceptional generation, we are more active, more healthier, engage.

This morning at the Gym I look around and many of the people doing training were seventyish, in good shape, doing cardio in the treadmill of in the bicycle. And lifting free weights.  On the Sumba class more that half of the ladies were over seventy and dancing, merengue and raps. My wife is seventyish, my Cardiologist and my Dr.  I check my FB friends  many are of my age, alert, engage and posting very wise material. I am not an old man waiting to die. I am a seventyish looking for the best years to come. In my life time I witness the communist taking Europe, the revolution in Cuba and in many Latin American counties, The Vietnam war, the civil rights, the fall of the Berlin wall, the disappearing of the URSSR , the War in the Balkans, the  Dessert war, the returned of democracy in Latin America The Gulf War the Afghanistan War the Iraq War. The war and genocide in Africa, The famine , hurricanes , tsunamis, volcanos……  In my life time I went from the radio to cell phone, iPod laptop etc. In my life time from black and white pictures to all color in video and Blue ray.

We witness the war to tobacco that with education reduced the use of tobacco and cancer.The war on drugs with police,  the same number of people use drugs, but we have a large number of blacks and Latinos in prison. The police department have a bif budge on heavy weapons. And the prison system is unaffordable.

I have witness great advances in medicine in technology that few people can afford it. And most I had witness that all political tendencies from right to left talk about economy, production, but all of them forget that the advances are produced fist by  persons and should be for the benefit of the common good.

Am I going to get depress? or frustrated? or bitter? No. Just stick to the Serenity Prayer : God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I can not change; the courage to change the one that I can ( there is a lot that I can do ) and the Wisdom to know the difference.

For the younger generations, in the twentyish and thirtyish they should be grateful to have on hand so much experience available to help them walk the walk.

The  classic movie “South Pacific” have  a song named Dreams. I hardly remember the movie, but I remember the part of the song that says “you must have a dream if you want a dream to come true ”

I am not referring to the thing that happens when we sleep and sometimes we remember in the morning. That is to complicate for me.

We all want to get something,  be somewhere, achieve a goal. The first think we have to do is answer some basic  questions .

1- is my dream possible? almost everything is possible.

2- Is it  probable? 1:million,1: 100K, 1:iK, 1:100, 1:10….

3 Are these probabilities real?  Things  and circumstances that I may control

When I answer that, I  have a dream, And here comes  the funny part,  how to make that Dream True. I have to convince myself that I really want to achieve this, and I make the commitment to work hard and intelligently from now until fruition.

I had learned that in all efforts we have to commit our talent, our time, and our treasure.

Talent: as a person I have mental capacity, memory, I can learn , etc. some persons have more some have less that the nature part of a person. But every person can and should develop so my responsibility is to work hard to be the best I can be.

Time: for me managing time is the most difficult, maybe because I dream my mind goes away, maybe I can or haven’t learn  to concentrate, o prioritize .

Treasure: the most important capital is work , if I work hard I make more I save I have capital.

So my experience is for a dream to come true, I have to walk the walk.

Vis-it  vb. to present itself or come over momentary. To go to see in order to comfort or help.  To pay a call as an act of friendship or courtesy. to stay temporarily as a guest. etc.  We got the idea a person that goes or call another for a number of reasons. Visiting for pleasure is not a big deal, but many times we should visit for justice. Justice in a broad term of been just and equitable with others persons as I spec for me. As I see it, visiting an unknown person alone in a hospital is an act of charity, but going to visit my aunt with a terminal ill, in a very deplorable condition is an act of justice.  It is not going to feel good is going because she needs me. And I am going to make her happy.

Perhaps because I am old and many of my friends are old too, I understand how lonely many seniors persons feel.  Some have nobody, others the relative don’t have time or wants to confront the sad reality, and of course they will dig in the memory for justifications. Other may put some money to care, or paid for some help, but the final act of visit is reserve for the funeral home  where they will be visiting with friends to remember the good old times.

A Reporter tell the facts, who, What ,when, where and why , a commentator looks for reasons, causes and consequences, the writer just express his/her feelings, emotions, perceptions,  and share with others that care to read. So since I realize this, and sometimes I miss people that I would like to visit me, instead of crying victim I am trying to contact others, and visiting others,and well,  I find company for me. And as religious person I just try to get my way to glory “VISITNG” the sick, the lonely the prisoner. I am blessed that my children and grandchildren ( included the spiritual adopted) take care of me and I am in good health and able to have autonomy.

Until next time. Just think if it is someone that is waiting for your visit?

DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A US CITIZEN?

HAVE YOU BEEN A LEGAL RESIDENT FOR 5 YEARS OR MORE? THEN THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!

The New American Campaign will provide assistance to complete the citizenship application to anyone eligible.

A coalition of legal service providers and volunteers have come together to encourage and assist eligible legal permanent residents (LPRs) become U.S. citizens by completing naturalization applications during this full-day event.

This service is completely free, except for the $680 USCIS fee. However, if you receive food stamps, Medicaid or SSI, and qualify for the fee waiver, we will process you application at no cost. For this you must have the letter of benefits in English from DCF and/or the Social Security Office.

REGISTRATION:    www.citizenshipflorida.org, go to the link “Are you an Applicant” and follow the instructions

DATE:     Saturday, June 22, 2013 starting 10:00 AM and ending 4:00 PM

LOCATION: Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus, Building 3 NE 4^th Street, between 2^nd Ave and Biscayne Blvd.

FREE PARKING: Building 7 Parking Garage Entrance: NE 5^th Stret, between NE 1^st Ave and NE 2^nd Ave

INFORMATION:     rhernandez@cclsmiami.org
acarrasco@cclsmiami.org:             Sammy@cclsmiami.org

We strongly encourage you to register and make an appointment.

Don’t wait any longer. Become an American!

Volunteer: go to the same link www.citizenshipflorida.org

Nadia. Do you read?

Ivan. Yes. Is that surprising?

Nadia. Perhaps

Ivan. And you write?

Nadia. How do you know?

Ivan. I read.

Dialog from Collapsible Model drama in one act by Georgeta Drogoiu. Playscripts Inc.

The purpose of this blog is not to discuss the play that presents a good analysis of a young woman finding her place in life in a difficult moment in a difficult place.

The reason I took this dialog out of context is to explain the point of this blog. We read during our lifetime a lot, and most is forgotten but sediment of concepts and ideas stay with us. That is the personal culture. Phase form this speech, a phrase from this book a memory of a person or situation. I like to write because I think that my ideas and feeling are not only my but most be shared. And I also believe that a writer should worry about to be honest and express himself and not write to please some potential reader.

Many times in life we hear a stranger say something, for a total unrelated reason, and that idea may be the answer to something that is in our mind for a long time. The writer always does benefit the reader. Always. If the reader agrees he/she feel good. If the reader disagree fell good because he/she reaffirm their position. If the reader laughs about what you write well he/she had a light moment. The writer must respect other opinions and of course be ready to a dialog.

So if you have something to say, said it and someone will benefit.

In today fast communication, instant information, cryptic text messages, thousands of FB friends. I get a sense, maybe because I’m old, that everybody that has something to say, but do not have someone to listen.

I write in first person and from my personal experience, since my only expertise is just been old. But I find that is hard to find anyone that has time just to chat. I am personally lucky that I have good communication with my wife and children. With my wife sometimes is difficult because we know too much of the other and try to guess what the other is going to say. With my children, they are busy persons with children to rise and careers to pursue, when we get together, more often with the two in the area that with the other two out of state, there are so many things going on that it is impossible to chat. With my friends, the ones that are alive and able to communicate, we do not socialize that much. So now we are connecting to each other by Facebook and finding out about our grandchildren, and exchange memories.

Writing this blog on how different communication is today I remembered when I was in Detention Ministry, that we organize a Pen Pal Ministry; groups of people to write to the inmates. Warning, this is a special ministry that require special well trained individuals, if anyone is interested contact me .I will refer to the proper place.

The inmate live surrounded by people, like him/her, that don’t care about the other, who will try to get out something from the others and nobody can’t be trust.

A Pen Pal is someone far away that offer security, because of the distance, and allow some level of intimacy.

In the modern world any one in Facebook is a friend, most of the time we have seen each other for a long time and in many cases we never meet each other. There are so many people so lonely that have an impulse to accumulate friends, and I wonder if they have a shoulder to cry. The openness of Facebook does not permit to have any level of intimacy.

Intimacy has nothing to do with sex; in the modern world many people have sexual partners with no intimacy at all. That is for another blog.

How many people just post in Facebook knowing that many people will read it and don’t care? How many beautiful phrases about love and trust, sacrifice, mothers, children, etc. and I wonder if it post because is nice or really means it?

When I see press like if you love Jesus I feel like posting back “I you like Jesus don’t say it, do it. Loving is not talking the talk love is waking the walk.

Yes I feel alone in the crowd so I try to reach to someone that is also alone and offer my ear to listen so he/she doesn’t feel alone. And helping the other I help myself

New

DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A US CITIZEN?

 

HAVE YOU BEEN A LEGAL RESIDENT FOR 5 YEARS OR MORE?

 

THEN THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!

 

On Saturday, June 22, 2013, the New American Campaign will provide assistance to complete the citizenship application to anyone eligible.

 

A coalition of legal service providers and volunteers have come together to encourage and assist eligible legal permanent residents (LPRs) become U.S. citizens by completing naturalization applications during this full-day event.

 

This service is completely free, except for the $680 USCIS fee. However, if you receive food stamps, Medicaid or SSI, and qualify for the fee waiver, we will process you application at no cost. For this you must have the DCF letter of benefits in English.

 

REGISTRATION:    www.citizenshipflorida.org, go to the link “Are you an Applicant” and follow the instructions

 

DATE:         Saturday, June 22, 2013 starting 10:00 AM and ending 4:00 PM

 

LOCATION:        Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus, Building 3

            NE 4^th Street, between 2^nd Ave and Biscayne Blvd.

 

FREE PARKING:    Building 7 Parking Garage

            Entrance: NE 5^th Stret, between NE 1^st Ave and NE 2^nd Ave

 

INFORMATION:    Call 786-414-2770 and leave a message with your name and telephone number. We will call you back. Or, send an email to: acarrasco@cclsmiami.org

rhernandez@cclsmiami.org

                             Sammy@cclsmiami.org

We strongly encourage you to register and make an appointment.

 

Don’t wait any longer. Become an American!

Walking the Walk before Talking the Talk

 
 

After been in retirement from Detention Ministry for over five years, I realize saying the penitential prayer at Mass the phrase ” what I have done and WHAT I HAVE FAIL TO DO ” .

So my health is good, my mind is function regularly good,( I had never been to bright anyway) let’s do it.

St Dimas outreach will have an emphasis in juvenile justice. So I went to Juvenile Court, where the problems end. In our society we have the philosophy to find the guilty, punish him/her and solve the social issue. At this moment I am not going to explain how the Court works, I will place an explanation in my other Blog Political group. I am going to explain briefly three divisions. Juvenile Delinquency juveniles that committed a crime, they may be send to programs or detention. Juvenile Dependency protects children that are not in a safe environment or are victims of abuse and/or neglects. And children in need of services, for those children that do not fit in either of the two previous cases but the family or caregivers realize they need help. Mary agencies are involved in provide these services.

The big picture is; all these juveniles are part of our community, living amount us, some our neighbors or relatives, and common denominator is similar, is the family is dysfunctional the children have a big chance to be in trouble. Have a perfect justice system to solve all the problems is impossible.

 
 

The solution is in the community and the effort must be place in making the life of the people more stable with education, with emphasis in mental health, addition is part of the mental health issue, employment, etc.

For that reason before talking the talk, I have been walking the walk, going to the places with gang activities, and shootouts, to see the faces of the decent people living in those neighborhoods that are afraid to go out. To see how we can improve the living conditions and show them that other people care. And then, we start talking the talk, in my mind there is going to be human face, the young lady with a dress faded of so many washes and two small children with no shoes, not an abstract label a poor mom with children. The housing project with a patio of cloth lines, no laundry room. The common areas has some grass, not a lawn or bushes or flowers.

In this walk we had a Deputy Mayor, the Chief of Staff of the Mayor, the District commissioner and other figures. Ok them maybe for the photo op but they walk and knock doors, and we all felt, smelled, and sow poverty at arm’s length.

Sister Susan Jabro told the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral
Care: “Globally, the prison industrial complex is used as the solution to social
problems at enormous human and financial cost. No matter the name of the
country, behind prison walls live the walking wounded; the mentally and
physically ill; the illiterate and undereducated; the undocumented, addicted,
homeless and poor. The suffering found in prisons is a reflection of the
suffering in a society.” I meet Sr. Susan many years ago when I was active in the ministry. And I quote her because this is the reality of the Prison industrial Complex today. When I retired from this ministry about five years ago. I had a lot of problems with  my health, the worst was when I lost almost all my sight.  Thanks God at the beginning of 2012 I was getting better my second operation was good and I star seen again. About the middle of the year I got involved in the Obama reelection campaign, I feel so good working with young people and learning the new culture of my grandchildren’s,  texting instead of talking. The election was over and again I was with no purpose in life. but waiting , because I was alive for some reason. One day my wife told me that the person who distribute bags of groceries to the homeless was going on vacation if I want to help for two weeks. I said yes of course. When I was able to hand out to each person a bag of groceries and look in their eyes. I realize that is a PERSON to happens to be homeless because we as society has fail to solve their need mostly on mental health. So I decide something that was in my heart , going back to prison, to drugs, to violence, to the street. The solution of the “social Problems  ” it is not the prison industrial complex . The solution of the suffering in society will reduce the prison population. The problems are addiction, violence, mental health, ignorance, not the drugs, the guns, the cost o medicine of the teachers unions. So this is an open invitation you may help in many different way.